


All That Glitters

by Peacockery



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: And possible AU where they were really just friends that fell out, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Jealousy, Maui/Tamatoa, Misunderstandings, Monsters and Heroes, Pre-film, Really I just like these two a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-08
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2018-10-16 05:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10564587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peacockery/pseuds/Peacockery
Summary: ...is not gold.He was a monster. The man was a hero. Clearly, history favored the good guys.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do want to preface this by saying I haven't actually seen the movie but have read and saw enough to know the plot and relationships. I just wanted to write something sweet, sad and a little dramatic. Why not an origin story? Might go to fluffy friendship at the end, maybe on the Mauatoa boat I've been enjoying, who knows. :)

Imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, they always said.

Maui was painted more ornately than even the most intricate of vases that Tamatoa had brushed aside when he scavenged for valuables. Every patch of ink told literal stories, fluid and sentient and every bit as crazy to watch as their master. And with every grand feat of accomplishment, his patterned hide grew more and more enthralling to look at. Envy was inevitable.

Those shrimpy little humans no doubt flocked to him, far and wide to see his living epics and praise his form and trials. Even back in the ancient days when they were young and drab, Maui always attracted worship. But he was fleshy. He had no armor, no dazzle. He shrieked too much and caused hell wherever he went. At least Tamatoa’s shell in its boring days had some color- soft pinks and vivid blues, a visual entrancement of the ocean at sunset painted across his form! He was far more beautiful than bare-skinned Maui back then, and yet as always, the demigod always won. History always favored the heroes.

Tamatoa had been born up on the sandy shorelines of the human world, swept up as an egg from the depths of Lalotai. He understood what humans adored, and it was wealth. Wealth in looks, wealth in possessions in their little dens and most importantly, power in glam. He had seen brilliant shells and shiny gems and metals adorning their armors and tools, and from a small larva it had been in his best instincts to try to emulate that. Coconut crabs were just born that way, just like Maui must have been born to be a nuisance.

They had been friends since their early days, when the young demigod had stumbled across him during what was no doubt one of his boyish adventures on a charming sunny day. He didn’t realize he had kicked sand upon the tiny monster until the sputtering and squeaking caused the boy to stop in his tracks. Maui had back-tracked with doe eyed curiosity, crouching down to watch the pitiful little creature furiously rubbing the sand from out of his eyes. It was an odd introduction, Tamatoa recalled. They just looked at each other, a small child in a leaf guard and a little fry who was still learning how to walk against the lazy tides. Naturally, baby Tama’s best interest was to try and hide, lower himself to the sand and convince the human that he was but a boring shell. He wasn’t expecting the amused laughter escaping from the adventurous lad.

“Funny thing,” The demigod giggled as he picked up a shell and looked at it, grinning at the mesmerizing sheen of its underside. He placed it on top of the little crab and crouched in the sand, watching with a strange sense of wisdom far beyond his years. Tamatoa shivered at the contact, but peeked his stalks out to cautiously look between the human and the object now resting on him. Maui chuckled again as he watched the crustacean’s eyes widen in fixation at the shiny reflection against his own shell.

“You’re a coconut crab! You gotta look good, buddy!” He mused, carefully scooping up the small monster and ignoring the frantic struggling that ensued. He took the confused invertebrate away from the shoreline and out of the sites of potential predators, carefully placing him down on a shady patch of sand among the grasses. Wherever he surely had been rushing to before must have meant little now, as he sat down in the shade under a swaying palm, grinning down at this fascinating new friend. Quizzically, he cocked his head to one side. 

“You’re kinda big, aren’t ya?” He had never seen a crab of this breed so large despite being so young. Tamatoa merely hissed, threatened by the shadow of the boy looming over him. The precariously placed shell had teetered off his own, quickly snapped up by the human before his claw could even extend. He flinched when the hand returned, but calmed in relief as he watched that pretty shiny placed once more on his top.

Maui, looking pleased, simply couldn’t contain himself; spurned on from the awestruck reaction of such a simple beast, he pressed his hands into the sand on either side of the young monster. He too was learning of the world, and the magics bestowed in his veins still ran untamed, but the boy was able to extract from the deeper earth a few shiny pebbles that responded to his whim. Each were long polished and shined by the crashing waves and buried beneath changing sands, glimmering and sparkling like precious stones around the crab. Tamatoa’s eyes boggled, small claws desperately shooting out to snap up each and every one for himself. Maui sighed happily. If he was going to be a great hero one day, then surely there was no better point to start than with the lesser creatures on Te Fiti’s world.

“That’s it!” The boy encouraged, fascinated. He had heard stories of how these silly little crustaceans stole from humans in their driven lust for glittering objects. “You’re a pretty neat little guy.” Something seemed off though. The size of the crab still threw him off. This one was about the size of a normal adult Coconut despite clearly being quite young, though the implications of mass and sentience behind those expressive stalks caused his grin to grow wider. 

“You’re too big to be normal, little buddy. You aren’t a monster, right?” He snorted and smiled dreamily. Of course, it sounded ludicrous. Anything could be a monster in the mind of a child. This could just be a shellfish that liked his groceries. But to a young demigod, anything was a new and exciting possibility.

“I bet you can shoot water out of your claws, huh? Oh! How about lifting me up with super strength! You’re round enough!”

Tamatoa cringed at the booming voice, and just looked at him as though he were insane. Maui’s smile fell as he noticed how tightly the animal was trembling and hugging his little hoard now, and sat back. 

“Hm. You just look too cool to be any normal crab….” he drew his finger through the sand, making a diagram of a fierce crustacean, holding up a mountain upon its shell. “Bet you probably don’t talk either…”

The monster blinked, perking his head.

“Koura?”

He nearly sucked himself back into his shell when he heard that gasp and whoop of glee that followed after.

~>*<~

It had been a good friendship, for many years. Tamatoa remained at his little beach, and Maui would return with little trinkets or sparkling treasures that he found in his journeys. To express his appreciation, the crab took to placing his hoard on his back for safe keeping, which had earned him the name he went by. Tamatoa, the Trophy in their native tongue. Maui always teased him for it, but the praise for his growing dazzle always spurred the crab to keep going. He wanted to feel important too. 

Maui also began the habit of telling a plethora of crazy stories when they shared their visits together, regaling of feats so ludicrous they sounded amazing. Touching the sun, stealing fire from the ground, growing trees out of eels...and the more he talked, the more that Tamatoa started to see strange markings growing on the demigod’s skin, as if to verify his ego. Nothing ever sounded so simple in his daily life. But as intrigued as he was to listen, Tamatoa began to feel that negging little feeling that he was being talked down to, that he was just the audience that the spoils were fed to in order to keep his loyalty. Maui never asked him about his days, as boring as they must have seemed in comparison to the great Maui’s. He felt he was pretty great too. He must have been, if Maui liked his company so much. Wasn’t he?

Compared to a living deity, he was just a crab, and a monster crab at that. He started to feel that Maui perhaps was just encouraging him with these treasures, feeding his instincts to hoard and maybe, just maybe tempt him to be nothing more than a glamorous pet. Maui never took him on his adventures or inquired about his life and always wanted to play fight on his own terms, a habit they both enjoyed as a budding hero and a bored leviathan looking for more in his own drab life. It also seemed that Maui only wanted visit after winding down from the applause and praise of his people. Where he belonged. He always left quickly too, after his needs had been quenched and the fire for the next big adventure became too hot to stay still. And every time, Tamatoa just saw him off with a dolled up smile, letting it fall just when the Hero of Man was out of view. The world was too dangerous for him. No human could ever cheer him on for such things. But they would for Maui. Anything for Maui.

He didn’t like feeling like a trophy. Monsters and heroes were never supposed to get along. They never did in history.

But he was just as great as Maui. He was much larger now, as large as one of those human boats, and his treasure pile was getting brighter and more luxurious thanks to the one he called friend. If Maui could look so important with his strange patterns, then surely Tamatoa can prove his worth and image all the same with his own beautiful works of art. 

Wealth told stories too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a lesson to be learned, on not to make first impressions count.

“Koura!” 

Maui was beaming, diving downwards towards the isolated island with a hefty satchel clutched within his talons. Long deserted by humans, the feral animals which prowled among the sands and plants were no longer used to loud and strange visitors; birds of many colors burst from the trees in a startled frenzy, casting shadows beneath sprinting rodents and scuttling crabs as every wing, paw and claw made haste to find sanctuary from the large hawk. Amongst the tiny riots of chaos emerged one lumbering king of the jungle.

Groggy but curious, Tamatoa eased his large gait from behind the brush. It was hard to tell how to really feel these days, between elation at seeing his friend (and most importantly, the offerings) or to feel a pang of growing dismay at yet another visitation of bragging rights and growing egos. But, as always, the crustacean managed a calm smile and flicked his antannae upwards to pick up on the faint jingling of something wondrous coming his way.

“Koura!” The demigod squawked out again, dropping the bag onto the white powder before landing with a satisfied thud onto a washed up piece of driftwood. “Look what I got ya, brother!”

Koura, cute. The first word Tamatoa had ever said to him, and it was the Maori word for gold. Maui always loved playing that one on him, as if that were the magic word to keep their union strong the larger and older they grew apart. The monster chuffed and kept up his smile, its stretching visage growing more genuine as he snipped apart the bag with a clean swipe of his claw. Koura, indeed.

No doubt, the gold pieces and trinkets had come from some generous king across the ocean, and of course, no doubt, it had meant to be a reward to Maui for yet another one of his heroic feats. The implication felt dirty, but at this point, Tama’s growing dependence on shinies was beginning to push down the disgust at being presented another’s reward. He sifted through the coins while half listening to the demigod prattling on and on about apparently raising some mountain on the other side of the horizon and providing the poor, poor humans yet another home to go sailing to...Tamatoa was far more interested in the sculpting of the coins and the details of a small platter that lay among them.

“...and then, I threw my hook into the sea and…”

It was all the same in the end. Maui listens to humans cry, Maui throws his hook or biceps around, and suddenly physics was kissing his feet to obey. Same gawdy tales, same extravagant spoils. Not like Tamatoa was complaining- Maui never had been one for material things. He lived off of the high of praise. He was a blind fool.

The crab nodded, parroting back the same messages of whales and a geyser to give the impression of taking notes, but his real focus now was carefully plucking up each little sparkle and depositing the pieces carefully upon the wide brim of his shell; it was much larger these days. They were growing stronger. Maui was now a proud young adult slowly gaining his ink, and Tamatoa’s claw alone was almost the size of the hero’s body. He was bigger, more grand, more beautiful. And his glittering body alone could tell a thousand and one more tales as well.

“...And ta-da! Your wonderful bounty, courtesy of the king of...hey. You get all that?” Maui had long shifted into his human form, chiseled and adorning a few wild tattoos. Less grand was his smile, as it had quickly settled into a disgruntled pout as he watched his friend from his perch. “I tore open a piece of the ocean to get that!”

“Of course you did, babe. You can do anything.” The crab replied dryly. 

Maui huffed, and pointed at some new ink on his shoulder to prove his case. Tamatoa kept turning over a cut gem around in his claw. 

Growing a bit agitated, the demigod cleared his throat. The crab simply hummed and cooed over the dazzling shine. Finally, desperation kicked in.

“Hey, I worked hard for both of us. You’re welcome!” The magical human stood up and placed his hands on his hips. “Without me, you wouldn’t be so bright!” 

It seemed that humbleness was still a quest to be unlocked.

Tamatoa lowered his claw, putting on a face of pure exasperation. When he finally pushed himself to his full height, he easily loomed over the Hero of Man. The sight of all fight draining out of Maui when he recalled their size difference drew forth a small purr from the crustacean’s throat.

“Without you, I’d be drab. Boring. Plain as poi, darling. Yes, tell me how I just torment you so with my existence.” He snapped his free pincer, causing the human to tightly clutch his magical hook. Where in the world he obtained damned that thing, Maui never told. But as intimidated by it as he was, Tamatoa never once stepped down from a challenge between them. 

Maui looked up at him with furrowed brows, searching for a reason. Finally, his face softened up as he lowered his artifact, rubbing at his face with a heavy sigh.

“...I’m sorry, brother.” 

It was still an odd term to hear, even after all these years together. And every time, it always seemed to throw Tamatoa’s thoughts and anger through a loop. Slowly, he withdrew his claw and sank back into the sand, grumbling something under his breath while he stared at the remaining treasure in the satchel. Maui stalled for a few moments, but moved over to take a seat beside him under the midday sun. He looked up, and managed a small smile at the gorgeous display of golds and whites that shimmered upon the monster’s back. After another minute, he spoke up again.

“I just...I want to be somebody, you know?”

“Join the club.”

Tamatoa could practically feel the wincing of regret next to him. But, this time he did listen.

“It’s just...when I was out there...am out there...I feel alive. Like this is my purpose, to be a hero. You know?”

Tamatoa didn’t. And the way he looked at Maui made that sentiment known. They looked at each other for a few awkward seconds, before turning their gazes back to the sand. This time the quiet lasted much longer, practically cutting the young hero apart with emotion while poking a few curious thoughts into the mind of the crab.

Perhaps he could understand, if he really felt insane enough to try. He was nothing like Maui, and held no fond experiences with humans. Even as a young larva, he had only caught glimpses of the few humans that lived on this island before they parted for a larger homeland. Nothing particularly interesting about them had struck his mind to be worth noting. No vibrant colors, no shells, shivering and weak under the elements...but they liked shiny things, and so did he. Perhaps they too wanted to look glamorous and feel important with their treasures, just like he did. If he were a hero, then would it be too farfetched to be given such wealthy things to mirror his importance? His impact?

The crab chuffed, rolling his eyes at the asinine thought. He would never be anything other than a monster. And what bothered him the most is that a few of the tattoos Maui sported showed him fighting behemoths and harsh forces to save the day. It almost terrified him to think that one day, he too could very well find a patch on there to be printed on. 

A soft touch against a tucked leg knocked him out of his thoughts, and he glanced over. Maui seemed to have figured out his sentiments from his expressions alone.

“Hey...we’re always gonna be together, brother.” There was that damned word again. 

Tamatoa shuffled a bit, cocking his head lightly with a disbelieving hum. 

“You know a way to a crab’s heart, babe.” When Maui didn’t seem to be budging, Tamatoa gave a light shove of his claw until they were both chuckling lightly at how staunch they were acting.

For all the annoyances he presented, Maui was at least determined. They usually wrestled and fought with bated smiles for a privilege like this, but today Tamatoa went easy on him. Somehow. He held still and withheld his curses when grappling hands and scuffling feet knocked off some of his shells and coins as Maui scaled on top of him and found a somewhat comfortable spot to recline on. The crab quietly scooped his fallen shinies back into his clutches as the young demigod continued.

“I mean it, Tama.” Maui sighed as he used his crossed arms as a pillow. Looking up at the very sun he had lassoed, a whimsical smile stretched across his features. “This is my duty. It feels great, like…I’m just alive, when I am there to make the world a better place to live in.” A soft chuckle escaped him. “I helped make days warmer and longer. Look at all these coconuts for you and I to eat!” To a crab, none of those truly mattered much. The monster had always been flexible, but they were impressive feats. If he were to prattle on about the splendor of his individual treasures, then surely Maui would feel the same exasperation over time. Their interests were simply different, as man and beast.

But, he still listened, as he used an antenna to dust off a piece of ivory. 

“Of course, they want to give back! I am pretty great, I mean.” He snorted, amused, while he looked down at his few tattoos. “But I don’t need all that shiny stuff and big huts and wives. The food and parties are enough!” Tamatoa rolled his eyes, but perked up when he felt a hand stroking along the spines on the back of his head. Maui was sitting closer now, and he damned well knew how sensitive that area is. That confident grin was practically burning its way into his eye stalks right about now.

And double damned this human, he had long figured out that the scratches which followed always caused one of the crab’s legs to twitch and kick.

“So, I bring it to you! To a guy I know that loves gold and fancier things who can appreciate it more.” The demigod smiled warmly, slowing his movements back down to a lazy petting right between the eyes that drew just the sweetest little rumble he ever heard. It was the best way to subdue a cranky crab, and it was a cherished secret he will gladly take to his grave.

Tamatoa hated to admit that he was smiling rather dreamily now. From the pettings, of course...though the honeyed words did weigh heavily on his mind now. Maui truly cared that much, did he? Lids fluttering, Tamatoa turned his eyes so that they were now facing back to look at the visitor on his shell.

“Now you are really buttering me up. Serve me on a gilded platter, why don’t you.” For the first time this encounter, he managed a sincere chuckle.

Maui shrugged, but he shamelessly drank in the compliments. Perhaps they truly were perfect for one another, egos and all. 

“If I was cruel, I could. But there’s not like there’s a village here anymore to serve you to, crab cakes.” 

Tamatoa quirked an eye, curious. A cute little jab indeed, but something seemed to click. Carefully, he extended a claw to pick up the human, and lowered him to the sand so they were now looking directly at each other.

“Hold the conch, babe. Are you suggesting something?” He leaned in, scrutinizing him. Maui just shrugged innocently, but his smile remained.

Maui was the reason there were no longer humans on this island, he had to be. He must have encouraged them to sail to the next island over after he had bloomed some crops or carved out freshwater lakes, just to give his closest friend his very own secret home. A home to live in peace, safe and unthreatened by rumors or curious eyes finding him out or his hoard. Suddenly the crab felt like such a fool for being so bitter for so long.

He closed his eyes and lowered his head, gritting his teeth hard as he heard the pleased chuckle die down to a concerned grunt. Maui’s hand was on his claw again.

“Hey...don’t worry, little buddy.”

Hero of Man, indeed. And, perhaps, Friend of Monsters as well.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of fluff for this one. :) The next few chapters are probably going to be showing off aspects of their early life more before the plot hammer swings its weight around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired to write this chapter from another writer who helped turned on the Mauatoa light for me. So, I will give credit to Pappels where it is due! Check out their awesome stories.

Maui started to visit more often. By nature, Tamatoa wasn’t the most social of creatures, though he soon relented to sharing his den with the other. If shinies were involved (which was an expected gift by now), then the demigod was free to roam about and admire the glittering hoard inside as much as he pleased. He was even allowed to touch some of it, provided that he always dusted and cleaned whatever caught his fancy as the humbled owner watched.

It was a cozy little nook, tucked deep into the heart of the island within a sunless tunneling system that required lighting and a brave soul to penetrate. For Maui, his magical hook was enough to bypass all that mortal reluctance. Deep within lay glowing mushrooms which painted the walls, casting the crab’s precious collection in a glittering display of sheens and glows within the dim space. For many nights they claimed the very center of the cavern, alternating between fond conversations or playful sparring. Maui was beautiful in the shimmering darkness, his eyes sparking hotter than any coals Tamatoa had ever seen.

The monster was truly the king of his domain, in a place like this. The first time they had descended into true darkness together, Maui had to stop in his tracks to stare, eye-boggled and slack jawed, at the cacophony of neon hues that marked Tamatoa’s giant size. At first he had given a breathy jest, that it was all algae and illusions painted along his features, but had to pause in his teasing when Tamatoa’s smug grin outshine the brightness highlighting his being in the darkness.

Maui distinctively jumped back with too shrill of a yelp that would surely be the death of him, when the monstrous crab all but swallowed himself up in the pitch atmosphere until only his eyes remained, glowing in alternate shades of cyan and pink as he snuffed out that little attempt at machismo.

The demigod had to admit, though, that his friend made the best nightlight.

Sleepovers were common at this point, now that they were reaching into the hundreds range of their adult years. Too often Maui was drained from his growing feats of brilliance when he visited, gladly sinking to his knees at the mercy of the other when he was allowed to stay somewhere quiet and peaceful to recover. It even got to the point where he had taken to using one of the claws (which was now larger than his body) as a sort of cool, makeshift hammock when the days were too hot and the sweat too much as it salted upon his burdened skin.

Not that Tamatoa minded any. At his current size of nearly 25 feet, his growing bulk was making it harder to get out and maneuver around the paradise of his secluded home. Most of his days were spent in the blessed dark, away from the shrill cries of the seabirds or the glaring heat of the tropical sun. Perhaps he could pester the man one day to push that asshole entity back up into the deep cosmos where it belonged. But he was happier here, hidden safely with his darling shinies. Watching Maui sleep was also becoming a new treasure he was quite fond of hiding for himself.

Coconut crabs were not true fans of daylight hours, and neither was he. He had spent long enough staying awake under the grueling temperatures to accommodate for the hero, so now days like this were considered the golden years to the proud monster. His energy spiked at night due to the lack of dehydration or overheating, so he took great opportunity to really map out all those inked up spots on the demigod’s body for hours on end while the human slept.

Maui wasn’t as shiny or glamorous as his important best friend, but he sported some very impressive and gorgeous stories on his hide. On a night like this, Tamatoa lay tucked into the sand, head all but hidden under the brim of his shell. Only his eyes were visible to give his intentions away as his gaze intently slipped from patch to patch while Maui reclined peacefully in the middle of his side turned claw. 

It was amazing, how many words can be packed under simple markings. He was regarding one current patch right now, of the demigod’s classic telling of how he stole fire from the underworld. The intricate patterns and glowering hatred on the entity depicted sparked the crab’s curiosity; what was it truly like, in the deep below? Perhaps there were larger monsters with even more impressive treasures to guard. Licking his lips in contemplation, his eye stalks skimmed to the next spot.

Maui, on his canoe, hooking what looked to be a gust of wind. Now, if only that were apparent on the days where the crab absolutely had to leave his burrow in order to feed. Perhaps he could snag a few rain clouds too, next time.

Chuckling breathily to himself, Tamatoa turned his gaze to the resting bliss on the human’s neck. His smile fell.

Quietly, and oh so gently, he employed one of his antennae to carefully sweep a rogue lock of unruly hair from the slumbering human’s face. Shuffling as he retucked his limbs underneath him, Tamatoa watched Maui’s face for a few minutes. Pretty handsome, for a tiny human.

It was only when something flickered in his peripherals that his eyes snapped away. His pupils shrunk in surprised horror when one of the tattoos on Maui’s chest seemed….sentient. And it was waving at him with a sly wink.

He chose not to regale Maui’s amused suspicions when morning came and he was staring heatedly into the sand.

~>*<~

“Hey, if you want to do it, then I don’t blame ya, brother.” The human was sporting a wicked smirk as he spun a coconut on his finger, reclining proudly in the sand while they dined on some fruits and fish for lunch. 

Bastard little ink ratted him out.

Tamatoa clicked his teeth as he picked at his shark, annoyed. He didn’t need to explain himself for anything, though the demigod was acting as if his voodoo skin had told him that the crab had been watching him like a pervert while he slept. Maui’s smugness persisted as the minutes dragged on, even after he had long cracked the husk of the fruit on his knee and was now slurping infuriatingly loud from the snowy innards. It was a game of psychology and Tamatoa was determined to not snap.

Instead, he made a point by side-eying Maui with his eye stalks while cleaving the fish’s head clean off with one precise snap of his pincers. Maui dropped his coconut with a flinching wheeze. He then chuckled nervously and tugged at his sharktooth necklace. 

“Aha…ah...what I meant to say was...thank you for admiring my body.”

Tamatoa’s eyes only widened with unsettling challenge as he lifted the shark head to his mighty jaws and crunched it down as if it were jelly.

Nervously, the human played with his fish hook, but only after he had quickly brought it up to his form in reflexive protection. “Aha….yeah….I’m not winning this, huh.”

Of course, he knew that Tama would never eat him. Still, being able to sleep in a monster’s claw and live was not something to be taken lightly. The crab upheld his intimidating gaze for a bit longer, until his lips curled into a satisfied smile as he resumed cutting up his meal.

“Can I not admire a fellow treasurer’s work, love?” He managed a shrug while plucking out a spear from the carcass. “After all, it was the great, noble, all-encompassing Maui that gave me all, nurtured me as a wee babe and-”

“Ok, crab cakes, now you’re pushing it.”

They both shared a light chuckle, coconut clinking against claw in a humble toast. Tamatoa swallowed again, and he glanced back at the demigod.

“I do mean it, the first part that is.” 

Maui snorted, chuckling. Prideful as always. But, he nodded in agreement. He was very handsome, after all.

“I know, you can’t help it. Mini told me everything.” He wasn’t aware of the tensing shift in the crab’s demeanor as he looked down at the swirling milk within the husk of his drink. “I just didn’t know that Mamatoa had such a nanny strea-”

He couldn’t finish his sentence, but he did get a mouthful of sand as a sneaky leg knocked him off of his ass.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for delays! Work and getting sick has been kicking my butt lately.
> 
> But now we are kicking into the meat of the story, right before the canon lore of Moana takes place. :)

Like the tides, good things come and go, and in time the world changes to life’s rhythm.

Maui started to change.

His visits began to fluctuate between long periods of silence to stubborn lingering that lasted for weeks. The spark of vigor in his eyes began to slowly dim, and while his epic markings spread further and more proud across his body, Maui began to look...lost. That bothered Tamatoa. 

This was the Hero of Man, and the crab’s proclaimed Friend of Monsters. He had accomplished so much, and earned even more in love from his subjects. What else could a demigod possibly want, beside endless praise, parties and the most dazzling friend in the entire oceanic world?

The crustacean began to see the underlying effects of Maui’s wanderlust, when the demigod soon ceased leaving the island altogether once the burdens and exhaustion became too much. Tonight, they were outside on the same sands they had met all those centuries ago, staring up at the twinkling diamonds which danced across the inky sky.

“Just...need to do more…” The demigod rubbed at his face.

Tamatoa blinked, turning his gaze down from the heavens and onto the human.

“More? What more can you possibly do?” He hadn’t intended to have his words come off as cruel, but the confession sounded ludicrous. In his time on this wet earth, Maui had raised mountains from the sea, changed the location of cosmic bodies, stole elements from below to bloom forth prosperity, raised crops, fought off evil monsters lurking up from Lalotai...humans must truly be the most selfish beings alive, if all of those feats were simply swept away in the sands.

He gave the human a light nudge with one of his back legs, when he wasn’t getting a response. Surely the stars weren’t as dazzling to look at as he was.

Maui’s eyes were dead fixed on the abyssal beyond, however, and his brows were knitted in a troubled fashion. Finally, he brought his hands up to rub at his face.

“Brother...I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

He sat up and shifted his focus towards the sand, forlorn and broken as the way he was now slumped over, elbows on knees. Tamatoa quirked one of his eye stalks, uneasy. Was this a joke?

For once, however, his biting sarcasm died away as he tucked his large claws in, and rested his chin upon one of them. He was about to say something, when he caught a strange set of markings poking out from the wild mass of curls on the back of Maui’s head. Centuries of trust between them gave him the freedom to use his antenna to freely sweep a heavy amount off to the side, staring with entranced wonder at the strange, rather grotesque simplicity of the storyboard between the man’s shoulder blades.

“When I was born, my parents threw me into the ocean,” The demigod mumbled simply, keeping his eyes leveled with the earth. “If I was too good enough for them or...not, they couldn’t find it in them to keep me. The gods saved me, and gave me a chance. So they gave me powers beyond imagination...so I thanked them, by being the best hero to their world that I can be.” A light shrug came, but not much else.

Tamatoa frowned, looking downwards from the tattoo. Unlike the markings on Maui’s front, which were all grandiose tales and proud feats of glory, the stories along his backside were more grim and forceful, depicting powerful battles or blows from large forces that were conveniently out of the man’s sight. There didn’t even seem to be a designated spot for his mini-self to show up, as though this section were a forbidden map that no mental boat would ever sail to. 

Well, this was certainly awkward.

For all the showing and telling Maui always did, he always seemed to have strategically planted himself to always be front facing towards his friend, as if to play off the illusion that his back tattoos were just as crazy and prideful as his frontward, more flex-worthy ones. And, truth be told, Tamatoa had fallen for that ruse until just now. He pulled his appendage back, watching the hair fall back into place as he tried to register everything and find a somewhat supportive counterargument to the demigod’s recent bout of moping.

“Well, it can’t be all that bad, Maui baby. I never knew my parents.” He said simply, hoping that would work. Surely that would invoke a sense of relief; he had always assumed that humans were atrociously and sickeningly social and devoted beasts to one another, where instinct told him that the closest two crabs in his family ever came to be was deciding who was going to be next on the dinner plate tradition. He managed a grin when Maui slowly turned his head to glare at him, but it fell. Averting his gaze sheepishly, he scratched at the side of his head.

“I mean...nope, actually that is what I meant.” Pouting, he thought for a moment. “You were the only family I ever really considered...I never understood why I was born up here if I really did have a family.” It was his turn now to divert his gaze up to the heavens.

He had seen mortal crabs spawn and rear their young, and it surprised him how large in number his siblings must have been and how cozy and safe he was at one point, tucked away with all of them on his mother’s underside before they were all released. Perhaps she sent him up here to safety, away from wherever she must have lived. He wanted to think that, and not anything else. Even for a creature as antisocial as he was, Tamotoa disliked the idea that he too was rejected at birth, let alone separated by forces of nature. His pride was a valuable thing. It was all he really had in the end.

He was pulled from his train of thoughts (and view) upon feeling a warm hand patting his claw for attention. When he looked down, Maui gave him a ghost of a smile.

“You came from Lalotai. Realm of monsters.” He rubbed along the expanse of the giant claw, admiring the many grooves and scratches it held from years of digging and sparring. “Maybe the gods saw something better in you.”

They looked at each other in silence, and something strange started to overwhelm the large crustacean. He faltered for a moment, but gave in to push Maui inwards with the backs of his claws, managing as best a hug he could with their sizes and his own immense power. The demigod wheezed, but settled to press against his friend’s larger face. For all their years together, Maui couldn’t remember the last hug they shared as two prideful, powerful forces of nature.

As the minutes ticked on, the demigod stewed upon something. He drummed his fingers against the monster’s cheek as he thought, debating on what to say next. If this were a night of confessions, then so be it.

“I just need to be better,” he mumbled, feeling unashamed of dragging the focus back to himself. Tamatoa scrunched his stalks a bit in light annoyance, but that feeling ebbed away quickly as he listened under the sublime feeling of chin scratches. “I’ve done enough now, but the gods gave me everything to be the best hero I can be. It’s not enough. I keep succeeding but it never feels...enough. I need to think of something else to help.” He was racking his brain for answers while the crab impatiently nudged his face against the human’s hand every time Maui ceased his motions to think.

“They sound mighty selfish, babe.”

But were they? Maui sounded no better in picking his battles than Tamatoa did when arranging his treasures. It was a high of importance that they both got off to, and it only grow more liquid hot and burning in their veins the longer they went without the next big, new, praise-worthy fix. But Tamatoa had needs too, and he too was curious about his own importance in life’s story.

“Tell me about Lalotai.”

He’d heard of it many times before, but details were always conveniently left out as though he weren’t trusted to seek it the moment Maui turned his back. He nudged again, grinning. It fell when Maui ceased response all together in hand and face, too lost in his own thoughts while leaving a glamorous chin tingling and unscratched.  
      
“Babe.”

Maui slowly resumed his petting, but he was still as good as dead in the response department. Handsome twit’s been flying too close to the sun lately, it seemed.

Thoroughly agitated, the crab played the trump card now that they were just skirting around the subject.

“Fine. Talk to me. What’s your plan.”

He would be lying if he wasn’t certainly invested now in learning more about Maui’s personal life, but the few mentions of Lalotai during their years together had certainly stirred up a huge wonderland of fantasies in his head. How bad could it be if he was left out of the loop for it?

He was surprised when nothing really came from his companion, who just quietly separated himself from the monster and moved to sit back in his original spot. 

“I don’t know.”

It wasn’t like Maui, to feel so dejected and small. Tamatoa thought of extending a limb again to reach out, but thought against it. Instead, he looked up at the night sky, thinking of Lalotai while Maui drew pictures in the sand.

~>*<~

“Come on, brother. I have something to show you.”

After a few weeks of distance between them, Maui finally approached his friend in seemingly higher spirits. As often as he had the habit of just pushing his sorrows underneath a layer of veiled confidence, it started to concern Tamatoa over time.

The crab poked his stalks out from under the ridge of his shell, groggily blinking at the demigod. Thank goodness the light in his cave wasn’t strong enough to sting at his vision. 

“I didn’t ask for room service.” He grumbled, eyeing him viciously at the lack of presentable food or treasure to offset the rude awakening. “It’s daylight, isn’t it babe.”

Maui grinned. “As bright as the sun I pulled for ya, old buddy!”  
      
Tamatoa groaned and covered his face with his claws.

“I’m not part of your squishy fan club. That’s insulting.” He hated the hot daylight hours, and Maui knew it. “Wake me up when the moon kicks that bastard out of orbit.”

A persistent nudge against his leg drew only agitated his groans further, and he could just sense that shit eating smile from the amused human the longer it lasted.

“FINE. Show me whatever mundane thing you accomplished today.”

Maui had his hands on his hips, pleased. But he wasted no time in hawking his way up to the top of his favorite mobile mountain, and perched himself right at the brim of Tamatoa’s shell despite his protest.

“Ah-ah, I’m driving.” He cooed as he took both antennae into his hands, grinning awfully at the violent shiver and throaty purr it drew forth as he worked out compliance from touching those highly sensitive appendages. Reluctantly, Tamatoa began to scuffle in the direction of their pulls, both out of sick pleasure and fear that Maui could tear them if he wished.

The destination in particular was on the other side of his dreamy island home, to a seaside cave that Tamatoa had visited a good number of times for food but stayed briefly in due to the deeper lakes of water that pooled in there; he couldn’t swim, not with all of his size and bulk. To his sheer relief though, Maui took their entry as the opportune time to release his whiplike organs and hop off of him, amazingly with enough grace to not dislodge any of his beloved shinies. The demigod looked around with a whimsical sigh, before spinning around on his heels and bowing before him.

“Ta-da! I present to you, the answer to your questions.”

Tamatoa flicked his gaze around, quirking an eye stalk. “About my fishing habits? I’ll pass.” He started to descend into a shallower portion despite the demigod’s protests, already overheated and baking from the sun’s glare nearly cooking the water out of his nocturnal flesh; being coated in metal armor probably wasn’t the best idea either, when he picked up his hobby. He sighed at the cooling embrace of the water as Maui pitched a fit on the sand.

“No! Lalotai!”

The crustacean paused, and looked at his friend.

“...what?”

The demigod was facepalming himself, chuckling lightly.

“I...felt bad, for moping on you a few weeks ago. What has happened has happened. But you don’t know your story, you know?” He crossed his arms, smiling much more honestly. “So, I wanted to show you this in apology.” He gave a wave to follow as he began to wade deeper towards the back of the cave, spurring the curious monster to follow. In truth, Tamatoa hated the back end, where the sandy bottom tapered off into a massive drop into a dark abyss of a pit under the water’s crisp clarity. But, he followed anyway, curious and cautious.

When they reached a comfortable spot to peer down, Maui pointed.

“There, brother. Look at the very center. Can you see that faint little glow?”

Tamatoa blinked, flustered when he saw nothing at first. But, when he took to squinting and strained his gaze a bit, he did. It was a tiny flicker in the lightless depths, like a lost piece of glass collected at the bottom. Flickering between a vivid green and deep purple, it became a lot more noticeable the more the focused on it.

Maui’s smile grew more hopeful and warm as he saw the sense of wonder flash across the crab’s face.

“Yeah….yeah, I see it, babe.”

“That, Tama, is one of the secret entrances to Lalotai. The realm of monsters.”

Tama’s smile grew as all the fantasies he’s held over the years flashed through his head. Lalotai, the land of surely many treasures. Lalotai, where his monster kin lived and feasted and collected perhaps even greater and more magnificent things...Lalotai…

His smile slowly dropped in sentimental questioning.

The home of his family, if they were still alive.

Maui watched, feeling a strong warmth in his chest, but it felt cold and heavy as his own realization reminded him of their reality. He patted his friend’s claw.

“That’s your home, where you came from.”

Tamatoa slowly pulled his gaze away, looking down at Maui once he caught the snag in the demigod’s voice.

“...Babe?”

He wasn’t expecting Maui to essentially crush himself against his pincer, embracing it as much as he could.

“I’ve been thinking, brother, of my next feat to make this world a better place. And it’s going to be crazy and dangerous, but if I pull it off it will make everything better and our lives so much greater and wonderful. But…” 

He pulled back, looking down at his tattoos for an excuse to hide the worry in his gaze. Mini Maui looked back up at him, giving a light nod in encouragement. Maui sighed and balled his fists.

“I saw them, when I was flying out on my rounds. People. They are coming back here.”

He didn’t have to look at Tamatoa to see his reaction; he could feel it in the earth itself as the crab perked up.

“The world is so limited, and they require so much. They aren’t like you or me. So I saw their boats heading here. That’s why I need to do this. I will find a source of...something, to make things bloom for all of us. To keep them fed and happy with everything they need for eons, and for you to be safe here. But if something happens and I can’t talk to....or find...or…” He closed his eyes, clenching his fists tighter as his breathing made it harder to talk. Tamatoa didn’t realize he was holding his own breath as he listened.

“Promise me...promise me that you will go home, where you belong.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the absence! Some changes to my schedule and a vacation kept me away from the keyboard for awhile.

All things must inevitably end, for the cycle of life to begin anew.  
   
The day of reckoning came faster than what Tamatoa had wanted.  
   
Maui had altogether become a ghost in memory upon the island, long absent in his quest to change the world for the better. It stung at first, but Tamatoa had grown used to the feeling of being alone again, and he had his treasures to care for and the tiny wildlife of the island as companions, stupid and fragile as they can be.  
   
He started to go out less, preferring the confined darkness of his treasured space. His focus had been on high alert, however- his antennae were poking out of his den more and more these days, listening for any changes upon the breeze and sand. Maui said that humans were returning, as all life did to their ancient origins at one time or another. And if they came, he’d rather crush them all than to part with all of the gorgeous memories that Maui had given him over the years in his sparkling trove. Tamatoa could gladly adapt to a thousand years of loneliness if need be- to lose the one central joy in his life that tied him to his sense of being and only friend would burn more fiercely than any blow a trespasser could lay upon him.  
   
Surely, he thought himself so confident in this decision. He didn’t need anybody, only Maui if he were to return. And if he didn’t, then the waiting game just spread that much longer. Maui always returned to the island at one point...he had to. It’s where his true family was.  
   
As the weeks ticked by, however, Tamatoa began to doubt his confidence on the matter. Only leaving his lair to hunt, all spare time was cooped up among his shinies and trophies, fighting every chance his mind had to draw forth memories of that dopey grin, wild hair and infectious smile that always brought out his own, loathe he was to admit it. The crab perhaps was more sensitive than he built himself up to be.  
   
Sleeping was also becoming more difficult. He couldn’t sense the warm little body by his side anymore, nor could he convince himself that staying awake to map out his inky body was anything but a fond chance at bonding on his own terms. During the twilight hours he developed the habit of pacing around his lair at the risk of digging trenches, and during the sweltering day his gaze could burn holes as it stared at nothing in particular while he tucked himself in.  
   
The world was monstrous, out there.  
   
Finally, exhaustion eventually set in, and his heavy eyes finally closed under the weight of his emotions.  
   
~*~  
   
He couldn’t tell himself how long he had been out, only that something was scattering his treasure all over the damn place. Underneath the dark abyss of his shell, an eye opened, and pulled itself out from under the sand to investigate. The small human who had been inspecting a polished shield had frozen in place, staring back at him in silent terror upon realizing the largest mountain of gold in the room was a living trap. They stared at each other for a few painful seconds, before Tamatoa broke the spell as he tore himself from the sand and earth in a hostile roar.  
   
Fragile but swift, the tiny being screamed as he bolted under his immense size and falling treasure, easily outpacing him to the exit. Tamatoa panted, snarling but ceasing with a startled blink of revelation.  
   
That wasn’t Maui.  
   
They had arrived.  
   
Panic numbed his limbs and blurred the world around him. Widened eyes clumsily shot from one pile to the next, heart pounding throughout his carapace while his mind struggled to comprehend. Finally, the quickest solution set in, though it was no doubt the most time consuming and foolish.  
   
His claws pounded like mighty hammers into the spot he had been resting, rending apart the cold, musky cave soil into a deep grave for his collection. With a painful ferocity that betrayed the normal feather-softness he held for his things, every coin, trinket and shell was plowed into the pit with every barnacle and filthy reminder of the lair with it. Within minutes, his den was grim and unimposing, blanketed with uneven sloppiness of the floor.  
   
With his massive size, running would be foolish, but remaining inside would be suicide- the intruder will inevitably return with an army of bodies and weapons at his back, hungry to slay the evil inside and claim the prizes it surely must have slaughtered many for.  
   
Tamatoa was not a murderer, but today it was a title he would reluctantly carry to defend his home.  
   
An hour passed. It was painful, laying in wait.  
   
He had reluctantly moved from his buried treasure, realizing that the humans would be smart enough to know its location if he were to defend his honor right on top of it. The glittering armor of his body proved to be a painful edged sword in either direction- either he waited in broad daylight, or he needed to find a way to hide himself. Ultimately, it was worth the quick scraping and devouring of every glowing, disgusting mushroom and bit of moss in the cave, swallowing them all despite the protests in his stomach. After shoving himself as far back as he could, the monster employed the use of the pitch darkness and his own color manipulation to swallow himself up into the abyss.  
   
Eventually, the human returned. Shyly at first, but brave enough under the crackling protection of his torch. Behind him came a sea of similar red flowers, licking the walls with flickering light and snapping at the heels of the shadows which fled. Tamatoa could finally get a good look at the trespasser: a young lad, no longer a little fry but just old enough to take up the mettle of an aspiring hero or perhaps a chief in the making. He hid behind his burning staff, but determined himself to step further into the enclosed darkness to confirm his earlier fears. The crab could hear mumbles of what sounded to be doubt and suspicion coming from the other warriors. After all, where was the looming evil?  
   
The humans began to bicker among themselves in their little huddle, shoving the lad in the shoulder from annoyance. He sputtered and stepped away to dart around like a wild pig sniffing for roots, retracing his steps and wracking his mind to recall the piles of glittering wonders that he knew had been laying around. He paused again, and looked around with a panicked gaze.  
     
Even though he was hidden among the earth at the farthest corner, Tamatoa feared his color illusions and angling would only hide his presence for so long- all it needed to take was the right amount of steps in his direction for the torch’s glow to sniff out the reflection of his sparkling armor, after which there would be no guarantees of how thorough his lair would become painted in the skirmish to follow. He watched from his tucked in spot, antennae folded tightly against the shinies on his back but twitching on their own accord to pick up the little moments of weakness he could afford. The hitch of tense breaths, the tang of sweat, thundering of frightened hearts...the closer the human drew, the more his mouth started to water…  
   
Tamatoa could have pounced right then and there, to overwhelm the invading party before they could get a jump on him, but he didn’t. His gaze instead had quickly snapped up to stare at the new presence that had walked in with them.  
   
Head held low, Maui instantly seemed to know where he was. The warriors all reached out to touch him for blessing as he sulked past, and began to whoop out what sounded like an ancient tribesman chant as they relied on his bravery and intuition to solve where their own member had failed. The demigod paused in the center of the impending arena, and Tamatoa couldn’t see his face but he could make out his intentions; that dropped a heavy stone of revelation right onto whatever hope he had been safekeeping in his stomach.  
   
The demigod’s gaze was turned far low to the ground, but the top curve of his brows were visible in the pain they had to force down with them. His knuckles gripped his hook to a whitening reluctance as he fired up the electric glow of the bright aqua markings that tore through it. A pained cry that Tamatoa had recalled many times ripped through the echoing space and his own monster heart as the Hero of Man sent a burst of light in his direction, inducing a scream from the tribe as Tamatoa’s colors were ripped out of the safe abyss and back onto his form.  
   
He couldn’t play the docile card anymore. Torn from his options, the titanic crab was forced to charge like the beast Maui had presented him to be, giant legs pounding into the floor with seismic ferocity as he stomped his way at the demigod. He could make out a flurry of torches and spears thrusted his way but he paid them no heed, instead slamming his claws down to shut them out and trap Maui on his side.  
   
“Brother?”  
   
He hardly played the word back to the demigod, but in a moment like this, Tamatoa had to be sure. He allowed the building nausea in his stomach and red in his eyes to subside just enough to lower his head to Maui’s level, watching him with a wounded plead for understanding. Maui didn’t meet his gaze.  
   
Desperate, he used one of his feelers to lean down and try tickling the spots he knew were sensitive, resorting to sloppily brushing strands of hair out of the human’s face when his nerves started to work against him.  
   
Was this a ruse?  
   
No. Maui was his brother. His best friend. Surely, he was just leading the others on to look endearing and brave. Surely he was playing this up as a sort of ingenious act to save the day while satisfying all angles. But when no answer came, Tamatoa’s brows started to furrow.  
   
"You...you’re here to protect them, aren’t you?”  
   
Maui only gripped his hook tighter, and kept his gaze averted.  
   
He could take a hook to the face any second and live with the scars, but nothing was more painful than heartbreak. Tamatoa’s eyes widened when no defense came his way, and he reared his head back to click his teeth in building anger.  
   
“So...humans never change. How adorable.”  
   
When Maui finally looked up at him, there were tears in his eyes. At this point, the monster was numb to them.  
   
“Monster! I am Maui! And I am here to claim this island for the good of the Tahiti people!” The words sounded so forced, clearly a ruse to impress the impending settlers, but they rolled off the monster’s back like hot blood off of a spear’s point. Maui already picked his place, and his words just stabbed his betrayal even further into Tamatoa’s heart. The demigod noticed, and tried to signal a wink in an attempt to establish kinship and loyalty, but monsters were not humans. And monsters never forget.  
   
Drawing his claws up, Tamatoa bellowed out a monstrous roar. Maui’s hawk eyes spurred the rest of his form to match, taking flight once the mighty hammers came down. The humans scattered, screaming and tumbling over themselves as they rushed towards the exit, but lingered behind to poke their heads in at the sight of a great raptor darting between the pummeling fury of an enraged demon of Lalotai.  
   
“Brother! Wait!” The demigod called when he was closer, desperately trying to land to better convey his intent.  
   
“If you were “brother”, then you would not play a fool to please another!” The monster hissed, swatting the shapeshifter off-kilter with his claw and thrusting down one of his legs to effectively pin him back to his human form. Maui yelped loudly in pain, struggling against the limb upon realizing his hook had been knocked clean out of his grip after the forceful change back in form. Tamatoa stared down at him like a true king of his domain, eyes bright in the darkness but shone no love from his heart.  
   
“Open your eyes, fool. Let’s begin. Here’s your lesson now, reel it in.”  
   
He drew his leg in, scraping it against the uneven rocks and silt along his burial mound while the growing whimsy in his voice began to match the mocking fury of this hallowed day. Maui hissed from the shells and stones scraping his back, feeling small as he meekly looked up at the monster.  
   
“It must be a lot, the brave facade, when you’re a foolish little demigod.”  
   
His tone was soft and dripping with sardonic slowness to drive the point home, but his power was nothing short of malicious as he employed the tip of his leg to unceremoniously flick the human halfway across the lair.  
   
“What can I say except, you’re welcome. Fool. For the love, the tales and the heart. To say it’s ok, you’re mine, my brother, and that we’d never, ever be apart.”  
   
He quickly advanced on Maui, kicking sand on him while he struggled to get back up.  
   
“Hm, what has two claws and offered his smile, when you were in denial, that’s right!”  
   
His face lowered back down to the demigod’s, blowing a gust at the mane he took so much pride in.  
   
“When the nights were hot, who offered his den to keep you cool? Right here, you fool.~”  
   
His antennae whipped his hand back when Maui reached out in pleading hope. He trembled as the crab began to circle him, cracking his feeler, hard, against all portions of his body.  
   
“Also your secrets I kept (you’re welcome), and I kept you safe each night you slept. And it was I who swallowed your fears, so you could go and seek and love those cheers!”  
   
He reached down to snap his pincer around Maui’s hips, yanking him up and away from the hook he was scrambling towards.  
   
“Oh, let me pray and say you’re welcome! For showing me the light of my ways. My sweet demigod it’s ok, you’re welcome! Now you’ll be alone for all your days!”  
     
He tossed Maui up into the air and bashed him against one of his knees, and letting him fall upon the gold he himself had worked so hard to gain for his monster. Good, let them get bloodied. He will let the rains wash away the story later.  
   
“You’re welcome! So welcome…”  
   
Tamatoa maintained his jazzy approach, waltzing with himself in circles while the dizzy and pained hero groaned and stumbled along his glittering carapace.  
     
“Now, here’s the real plan, my love.” He reached up onto his back and plucked up the dazed human, trapping him in the vice of his claw once again as he began to stomp away from the cave and towards the panicking humans; to the depths with them all and his treasure mound. Right now, this was personal.  
   
“So, I could go on and on, about every plan I’ll intend to set on. The fears, tears and dreams to be found? That will be sweet Tama just messing around.~”  
   
He carried his grin at it’s utmost cruel peak as he tore through the forest with Maui staring, wide eyed in his clamp.  
   
“I’ll devour your friends and bury their bones! Paint my lair while you hear their moans!  
   
What’s your lesson, is it so wrong? To not wound those who made you belong?  
     
Don’t mess with monsters when they can just move on?”  
   
He charged into the waterlogged cave, and held him over the flickering abyss to Lalotai, the realm of thirsty devils.  
   
“And the color I painted my shell? Is the homage now useless as well? Look what you’ve done and the choices you picked, now relish your fate that your bones will be licked-”  
   
He couldn’t finish the song. Something sharp and wreathed with singing heat pierced itself into the smoothest portion of his armor, on his hind end between his smallest set of limbs. Tamatoa reared up like a frightened beast, snarling with pain and stamping around to drive off the determined little bastards that chased him down through the jungle. There were more now, more that he saw in the cave. With Maui clutched in his hand and pleading him for mercy, the monster swung his free claw and stomped his legs about at any prime target within reach, turning his gaze away just enough to turn the entirety of his vision out of Maui’s range; he didn’t see the hook being tossed back to the hero, nor the tears of regret as the Hero of Man reared it back to bring it down like a crashing boulder against the side of his head.  
   
In the aftermath of the rippling pain and sharp ringing among his senses, by reflex Tamatoa dropped the demigod. It was only when he was coming to did he realize that the world wasn’t spinning- Maui had employed a blessing of strength from his hook to tug the monster by one of his limbs back towards the pool of the damned. They struggled against each other, twisting and shoving to dislodge the other force until Tamatoa’s vision went hot white as a searing pain far greater than the spear burst through the lower half of his body and broke all feeling in his limbs, crashing him down onto the sand in a writhing, squealing ball of tortured agony.  
   
Tears welling up in his eyes, he turned his gaze back to Maui, making enough sense in his blurred vision to see the look of equal shock and pain on the demigod’s face as they looked at the segmented point of his first left leg that Maui had ripped clean off of him.  
   
In the years to come, legends of the people among the island would tell their children that it was Maui’s bravery over a vain and spiteful monster that painted the black sands of their beaches with his spilled blood. In the moment, Tamatoa had no words to share with the betrayer. Maui dropped the amputated flesh to try and chase after the monster, to let him know it was a lie, his original plan, that it was a ruse but was it? He had still taken the people’s side in the end, even if he had intended to play it off as a double agent to help the other. And now he sank to his knees, tears spilling freely down onto his black-stained form as his fans raced to clap him on the back and praise his bravery as they all watched the wounded monster stare into the pool, choke up a snarl from his own weeping mouth, and drag his mutilated body into the darkness to take the plunge.  
   


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a very long time since I updated this, so I apologize! This chapter is a bit short but the next one I intend to put up will be a lot more dramatic.

It had almost been a year since the incident. 

The worship from the mortals had been an intoxicating fix, and it worked for quite some time. But every night Maui would crawl into his canoe and push off from the shore, feeling lonelier than ever. 

What was there to be a hero for, if there was no one to truly share the experience with?

The settlers of the island (whom were now the cozy residents) had cheered the demigod on as he fought against the titanic monster who had threatened to crunch their bones and steal their wealth. They had lifted him up and held him aloft in the air, praising the sun which kissed his skin and the soft breeze that swept up his glorious mane- he, the one who had tamed the elements to the will of the world, deserved their blessings. He had deserved the great feasts which had been prepared in his honor, of the twilight dances and the giggling winks of pretty ladies. For his victory of securing their new home, Maui had deserved to live like a king.

And he had, for a while. Though he started to feel no different than a slimy eel once he began to see through the temporary happiness that his riches brought.

Touching fine shells and pearls felt like holding hot embers. The cooing invitations of his dates were but a siren’s kiss, luring him like the vibrant lights of a monster in the night. The more he ate, the more it felt like his throat began to constrict.

It truly felt that Tamatoa’s ghost was cursing him.

Maui began to alienate himself from the mortals after some time. They looked up to him greatly, finding a profound sense of wisdom in his growing reclusive nature- surely a deity as magnificent as he had some equally great journey he was preparing for. In truth, he began to sail towards no place in particular, slumped under the sail of his humble vessel while lost in thought, staring at nothing in particular.

The world began to grow more quiet in those days.

Maui’s thoughts were as distant as the clouds on days like the current, staring upwards at the horizon as the heat dampened his brow and stuck his hair to the magnificent inked hide he sported. There was no wind on a day like the current, lost on its own path as if it had lost faith in the force of living nature. His eyes were unfocused, hazy and distant as his mind wandered, slinking back again and again into old memories that burned at his heart. He had broken the bond between himself and the only soul who had ever understood him, all for the sake of that intoxicating fix.

Even Mini had grown quiet over time, refusing to indulge in his hedonistic bouts and depressing lows. Even his conscience had forsaken him; the little guy hardly appeared on his frontside anymore, instead lurking along his spine and out of sight. It took a few instances of firm pinching before Maui had realized that the living pigment had placed himself right at the location of the new tattoo he had grown to regret so much.

There were days, like today, where even the bitter little sprite had decided on speaking up.

Maui winced, pulled from his thoughts. This time it was on his chest, and not his back...it was enough for him to give into the bait and look down. Mini was looking up at him, arms crossed and foot tapping.

“I know, I know. I don’t need your lecture. Again.” The demigod forced a playful smile, but his gaze was tired and heavy. “I was a fool. I AM a fool. And I deserve this.”

He drew up his legs and crossed his arms over them, ignoring the frantic tapping at his pectoral from the tattoo being smothered. So, he relented his hold, if only a little. They both stared at one another, Maui slowly quirking his brow as he waited for the other to crack. Mini did, of course.

He watched the drawing sketching what looked to be a jagged mountainous island poking out of the sea, following it up with equally gnarled looking monsters crawling out and around it. The demigod furrowed his brows, thinking for a moment.

“...Lalotai?”

Mini nodded, huffing. 

Maui thought some more, and rolled his eyes before closing them, and shook his head. 

“Yeah yeah. I’ve thought about it….OK, I’ve thought about it a lot. But how am I to know he didn’t die from the fall? It’s a long way down, you know.”

Oh, they knew. Maui had taken the leap more than enough times in the past, chasing down violent monsters or banishing them back to their realm and away from the mortal world that was still so young. He could recall most sections of it with the same familiarity of the patterns etched into his skin. In all truth, it was very highly likely that Tamatoa was down there...somewhere. He was just afraid to admit it.

Mini saw through his facade, as always, and gave him a punch for his troubles.

“Ow! Knock it off!” The demigod hissed, patting his sore pectoral while glaring down at the ink; if any soul had been passing by, he surely would have looked as mad as he felt. Mini didn’t give two hells about it, however, and responded by punching him in the muscle one more time.

Maui hissed, clutching his chest as the sharp pang passed. Once he opened his eyes, his hand swiftly came down to smack at the menacing little devil, though of course Mini leapt to his other pec and he was left with jumping up and yelping from the pain. 

“FINE!” He bellowed, and sat back down with such force that the canoe rocked violently in the calm waters. “Fine...Lalotai...we will sail there.”

It was easy to adjust the sail from where he was sitting, though Maui kept his movements stiff and his gaze twice as steeled. As if afraid of his sudden anger, the wind picked back up and pushed the boat towards its new horizon. In silence he sailed while Mini watched him curiously, lost to his thoughts once more (and mercifully so, as the living tattoo had calmed down during this time); he thought of his lonely and clouded world while his only current friend, tiny as he was, regarded him curiously.

It was because Maui’s eyes had glazed over in a glassy sheen, as they looked ahead in a softened spell of dimming hope.

“The only reason I have put off on sailing there is because I am afraid he fell too far…” The demigod mumbled out quietly.

He would never forgive himself if his foolishness had led to the death of the one he had long called his brother.

\---

The foreboding spire defied the claws of the crashing waves against its base, standing proudly from the endless blue void to pierce a rumbling sky. Maui clutched the pole to his sail as he stared up at the intimidating mountain looming in the distance, and his frown turned into a determined scowl.

There ahead rested within the gateway to the Realm of Monsters. If he was fortunate, Tamatoa hadn’t died on impact and instead crawled somewhere with the remnants of his treasures to sleep amongst his forsaken ancestors. If he was unlucky then the furious monster would no doubt be more than glad to reach the front of the line to tear his throat out. He could take his chances.

Picking up his enchanted hook, the demigod stood tall in the building snarl of the incoming winds, sweeping his hair from sharpened eyes.

“I’m coming for you, Tama.”

Scaling the dizzying monument hadn’t even drawn up a sweat, although he was sweltering in it once Maui found himself at the rim of the great hole that scaled all the way down into glowing nothingness. He stared down into the abyss for a few minutes, bracing his nerves. One...two….one….one….this wasn’t working.

Taking a step back, he groaned and rubbed at his face. There was something that scared him about going down there, a place that he had dropped into many times before in the past during his many accomplished feats. He had chased demons down to the bioluminescent depths, and had delved quite deeply towards the unforeseen bottom to find lost treasures. Lalotai itself didn’t scare him at all. It was the reality that if he found Tamatoa down there...Maui couldn’t fathom if he had to stumble across the body of his lifelong friend. Worse yet, having to deal with him if he had survived the drop.

Mini looked up at him patiently as he stalled, Maui’s body fixing itself into a dejected slump as he thought and pulled wild hair into a messy bun. He had to do this. There was no longer any allowance for waiting.

He whooped out his savage cry of confidence while taking his cannonball leap, although his heart was anywhere but in that right place.

When he landed, his bravado plummeted even more- no matter how many times he visited the Realm of Monsters, he could never truly get used to how off putting the place was. Dark and colorful, yes, but the denizens he had to now sneak past were massive, man-eating devils who could crush him into a fine paste first if their appetites were still catching up. And he had whomped on all of them at least once during his career.

The smart thing to do was clutch his fish hook close and creep through the violent underbrush as best as he could without even pissing that off. The number one rule of Lalotai was that Lalotai hated foreigners. Hell, it hated even itself, if the frequency of monster bodies and distant brawls were anything to go by.

Maui had his brows furrowed and lips drawn in a distressed pout as he slowly crept his way through old ribcages and through dense, glowing grasses. There had to be a sign somewhere that he was going in the right direction…

It was a mighty nice tinge of luck that a clue just fell out of the sky for him.

The demigod squealed, stumbling back and biting his lip in red hot embarrassment while he lowered his hook. It was...something hard and blue-ish looking. Curious, he stepped forward and nudged it with his artifact.

His eyes widened as the object keeled heavily to one side until it inevitably rolled over, revealing itself to be a discarded portion of a giant piece of crab shell. Oh, gods around, he was really dreading looking up…

Whatever force of nature had delivered that shell piece was now lobbing its siblings from an impressive distance away. Maui couldn’t pinpoint where from his view in the bushes, but figured if he stayed out of sight and followed the trail, he was going to find out very quickly. To become a hawk was suicide; he was in no state of mind to fight today.

So, like a little mouse he crept, keeping low as Mini tapped his tiny foot, arms crossed. This was going to be a while. And it was- Lalotai was massive. But, Maui kept his eyes trained upwards, dodging the new pieces when they rained down around him. He paused once he finally arrived, settling into a low crouch while carefully parting a few neon blades. 

His journey had taken him towards the outcropping of a cliff, but that wasn’t the main focal point. What caught his attention was the titanic corpse of a mountainous crab laying crumpled against the dark sooty floor. A gang of scavengers from all ends of the realm were swarming it: lizards were slipping into the broken cracks, wild Kakamura scampered along the chipped portions to peel away pieces for their arsenal...Maui couldn’t believe his eyes at the sight of a ghostly tentacle rising up from beyond the edge, cups flaring in a bright bioluminescent blue which tore off an entire piece of leg for itself before sinking back into the darkness below. 

This was a feast for murderers, he figured. A crab that huge could take up perhaps the entire island himself and Tamatoa had lived on. Perhaps he was exaggerating, but it was large enough to make his jilted companion look like a shrimp in comparison. Transfixed, Maui couldn’t help but watch monstrous nature at its finest, at least soothed after examining the remains that they (obviously) didn’t belong to the monster in question that he was looking for. 

He sighed quietly to himself, rolling back upon his heels to take a seat in the soft sand. At least he couldn’t blame himself for trying; if he were to explore all of Lalotai, then Maui would never leave it as a young soul. He was banking on his limited knowledge of crabs to piece together any additional clues he could at least draw straws for, even if his rising doubts were beginning to wear him down. For once this journey, Mini didn’t interrupt his brooding.

He sat in his hidden nook, listening to the disgusting crunches and squelches of a banquet set out on the other side. Perhaps he should have reconsidered coming down here on a whim; he was tiring himself out from stress and needed some more time to think on things before he could return. It would be a dishonor to find Tamatoa and not be at his peak game for the apology he wanted to give.

So, after an hour of sitting and thinking (And the occasional peeking out to confirm), he took his leave to search elsewhere. He wanted to just return to his canoe, but as much as Maui wanted to abandon his search for now, it wasn't a hero's duty. He was almost dragging his fish hook along the dark earth, finding his eyes beginning to hurt from the contrasts of blackness and bright highlights. 

He searched a ship's graveyard to the south, after recalling a time when he remembered Tamatoa’s musings on wrecks and the bounties they must contain. He hid along piles of wood and bright coral, watching for any signs of an obvious collector scuttling around. All he ended up finding was more Kakamura and an eerie sloth monster perched upon one of the masts, watching the landscape with a glowing pink tribal mask.

He waited longer. But how much more could he spend pattering around like an island mouse? Mini nudged him, determined to stay on point. Perhaps a bit more of scouting for today…he stood up carefully, and began to creep his way westward, to exotic pools and waterfalls where many monsters journeyed to refresh themselves.

Back at the fallen crustacean, the scavengers scattered when something else began to loom over them.

In Lalotai, only the heavyweights dined like kings. The sight of the newcomer immediately forced most of the creatures into a scattered frenzy, while a few stubborn Kakamura lingered behind to brandish their little spears and stamp on the ground- a single impale of a pointed limb into the cracked ground was enough to convince them otherwise.

Long antennae danced along the tops of the grasses, sniffing up a familiar scent. And it drew forth a violent growl once the connection was made. The plan was to simply finish the job once the old crone had been downed, but the bubbling anger festering underneath subdued gnawing hunger for now.

If Maui had turned back to at least glance down hill, he would have been able to see something glittering in the far distance. It was golden, and very, very much alive.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The tables can turn and the winds can change, but in the end all troubles meet back up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a long hiatus on this story. I apologize. Have another character development chapter. :)

For centuries, he ate and slumbered like a king.

Maui’s image began to fade in the affairs of his memories, but it still lingered in the monster’s anger.

The world of Lalotai trembled at his monstrous fury. With his power, Tamatoa slew cowards of every bloodline. Gigantic lizards, rival crabs, the overwhelming hordes of Kakamura...they all fell before the sting of his legs and the spine-breaking crushes of his claws. The more he dined on the corpses infringing in his territory, the larger he became. His grandmother’s sacrifice at the beginning paid its weight in his new home: the titanic shell she had left behind.

Maui had seen the humble beginnings of that cannibalistic feast the first time he had journeyed to the Land of Monsters all those years ago. Perhaps if he had cleared out the rocks in his head sooner, he could have employed his heroic feats to save her in time before the final blows came. Tamatoa had killed her in sport during his rampage of betrayed fury, finding no love in his heart to greet the only living family he had left.

Granted, her aims had been to steal the remaining trove that had still been lingering on his back after his fall. Coconut crabs was not pardoned for their vanity.

His new home was opalescent and shiny, reflecting all the dazzling glitter that he carried upon him like a king’s raiment. It took months to clear out the remaining fragments of her meat and carapace, but now Tamatoa had a cozy nest to lay his heavy head. It was peaceful, it was quiet...it was so very alone in this colorful world. After spending so many years up in the blinding light and blistering heat, the monster had come to enjoy the blissful comforts of the silent dark. Nothing could bother him now. Not even humans and their weak wills.

It had been a day of rest in his new home, just like any other. From within his dark throne did the great Tamatoa slumber, electrified in his own bioluminescence. The long cording of his antennae twitched from where they lay within the shallow blanket of sand near the surface of his submerged body, keeping a constant vigil for any unwelcome smells that came close to the tantalizing mound of gold so seemingly unguarded. His dreams these days were often pleasant ones which appealed to his own narcissism, twinkling in his mind as he basked in a landscape piled with untold riches and pitiful little scuttlers who worshiped him for his splendor. Such was the whim of monsters. Sometimes he even envisioned himself as one of them, with long flowing hair and a regal coat woven from the finest of fibers and adornments that the islands above could foster. Those were the odd dreams; the resemblance often reminded him of Maui. They often left a sour taste in his mouth afterwards.

The walls within the great shell quietly echoed the little drips coming in from the stubborn ocean suspended above Lalotai, but to him the droplets were like a primal lullaby as they pattered against the sand. They coalesced downhill to the ancient pond carved into one of the corners, rippling and reflecting the hypnotic blue film which normally hid itself upon his treasures during normal daylight. The glittering brightness danced across the dome like a wild night light, which had become one of his favorite views whenever he was awake. For now, from the flickering bright dots to the gentle drips in the dark, he couldn’t doze more soundly.

Until something outside panged loudly against his roof.

His antennae quivered beneath the sand in agitation. Once the silence became too agitating did they begin whipping through the shallow layers, spraying tiny shells and fragments of bones along with the granules until they snapped into the air to sniff around. No intruders...no enticing aromas...what a waste. Grumbling, Tamatoa raised his heavy head from the damp earth. Groggily, his eyes blinked and glanced around intermittently until they both focused on the very center of his ceiling. The tip peeled back like the lid on a jewelry box, and yet all that greeted him was the twinkling beauty of the mortal waters drifting above the air of Lalotai. 

The grumpy squints of his eyes slacked at the sight, growing wide and somber while recalling old memories of the glassy sunlight cutting through the waves. Tamatoa drew his feelers back, threading them together in a soft coil as he pouted in quiet remembrance. Up there, where the air was warm and crisp...he remembered the gentle lapping of the waves upon his claws, and of the sweet tang of ripened fruits. He remembered the calls of the seabirds and how they sent shivers through his blood when he used to be small and vulnerable.

He remembered the nights he spent, stargazing with Maui.

The coconut crab hummed and glanced back at the trove of shinies littering his back. Like the stars themselves, he had his own supply of twinkling beauties.

Tamatoa had been so distracted by his gold that he had almost forgotten about the source of his wakeup call. It took some effort to wedge his large body out of the mouth of the titanic shell, and the force alone from his snorting and clawing was enough to send the pack of Kakamura scattering from a patch of sand that they had been congregating around. The crab scuttled closer, fanning his claws out to prevent the little biters from creeping back in as he peered down to scour the ground. Something white and curved lay halfway among the grasses.

At first, a scoff started to tickle its way up his throat. Being awoken by a piece of bone was a laughable offense to his ego. But, he looked again, and squinted.

The object flashed a wicked shade of blue.

His pincers tightened themselves in a deep creak. It couldn’t be…

He slowly extended a feeler, using it to delicately part the seagrass in order to sniff out the object. Tamatoa winced when it provided a firm zap against his antennae.

“It couldn’t be…”

He ignored the stinging pain in favor of a wide, cruel smile. The Kakamura trembled from their distant perches, scattering again in a frightened frenzy once they saw the mythical fish hook being plucked up by a monstrous claw. 

\----

For a time, Tamatoa took to waiting back inside his home with the artifact before he employed any real use to it. Like a dog warily eyeing a bone did he sit, tucked in on himself and peering out from behind the protective wall his pincers gave. The fish hook sat innocently in the sand, propped upright as if it had struck the ground like a passing anchor. He had been debating on what to do with it.

Through experience, he had long known that the hook functioned best when in the hands of its owner. It was like the two had forged a blood bond between each other. Indeed, that theory seemed plausible by the lack of actual magic it discharged in the crab’s care. Like a hawk he watched it over the next few days, curious to see under what parameters it would react to his presence; he had been there too from the start.

But, after copious amounts of prodding, mojo words and flashy waving gestures, the hook refused to show anything other than the occasional electric jolts he received when he became too handsy...clawsy...with it. How disappointing.

However, it was a win in and of itself that he managed to snatch the infamous weapon down here, in the type of hell that all humans feared. Tamatoa felt his ego being stroked higher and further, the more he pondered of the implications that came with Maui being separated from his chosen tool. It made him wonder...what asinine stunt did the demigod pull off this time?

Tamatoa rubbed his chin with the top of a claw, grunting at the presence of barnacles growing under his jaw. Agitating little things...but not as infuriated as Maui must be right at this moment.

The crab chuckled darkly to himself, braving the sting of the weapon as he plucked it back out of the sand and placed it at the very top of the treasure pile upon his back.

\----

Indeed, Maui had really done it this time.

Sweaty and angry, the demigod sprawled upon the uncomfortable sands of a jagged beach, glaring up at the sun he had wrestled with eons ago.

This was his home now. A pitiful little island with a few sparse trees and a foundation of boring stones. No voices to laugh with. No boats to sail away on.

The thrill of the chase and the hunger for praise had gotten to his head, even after the great heartbreak that was realizing his own hubris had lost his only true friend. Rejected by his own parents and now without the one soul who truly had understood him, Maui never had felt so alone. Not even the praises of his endless fanclub could justify the recklessness on this stunt.

Maui had done it all at this point. He stole fire from the pits of the earth to give warmth to the humans. He wrestled the winds into submission in order to give mortals the freedom to roam the oceans while cooling them with tropical gusts. He had fought endless monsters to protect islands, raised said islands from the bottoms of the ocean...and yet he had somehow managed to outdo all of that effortlessly in one idiotic swoop.

It really was like a drug, fame. And he changed so much from it. A shell of humanity, chasing divinity.

Maui’s hands fell upon his face, giving it a long rub with a heavy sigh. He gave up so much for the ultimate heist.

In essence, heroes always challenge the impossible. He had accomplished pretty much everything at this point. Who was to say that taking the heart of Te Fiti was necessarily a BAD thing? Humans had islands and currents and coconuts and all sorts of wonderful things that they didn’t have to suffer dreaming for like he once did; granting them the magic touch of creation could have accomplished so much. Distant as he had been from his own roots, Maui knew of the fantastical dreams of the human heart. If given the chance, his people could do such wonderful things for the world, instead of living in fear from the absolutes.

Sitting up, the demigod stared up at the sky. He had been in the favor of the gods once, when they had saved him from the crushing depths of the sea. They had saved him from the closed minded struggles of his own parents. Growing up, he had seen how humble and enduring his race was, content with what lots they had while yearning for so much more beyond the horizons. 

But, he had also been a guiding idol to them as well. By giving so much of his own exploits, he finally had started to feel less of an outcast...though now he was the pinnacle example to the deities that now abandoned him. It was a terrible vicious cycle.

 _“What can I say except...you’re welcome…”_ He moaned to himself, to an audience that even he didn’t know. Long strands of heavy hair started to fall back into his face as he glanced down at the sand and rocks between his legs. Not even Mini Maui wanted to speak to him for minutes at a time; the little guy would rather feel stone against his backflash than look up at his disappointing doppelganger. 

_“...for the wonderful world you know…”_

He was thinking of Tamatoa again. He lost his brother. Above all else, he lost his family. The humans would still idolize him for eons to come. Tamatoa would never forgive him. He couldn’t blame the guy either; Maui had ripped part of his leg off during their final day together. They were both monsters, under the eyes of the fickle gods. And now, they were both all alone in their own worlds.

A sharp jab between his shoulder blades stirred the demigod from his thoughts. He waited for the tickling effect to shift over to his chest before looking down to frown at the foot-tapping frustrations of his sentient tattoo.

“What.”

Mini tightened his gaze into a dangerous squint, unfolding his arms to make an imitation of one throwing a spear. Maui felt blood rushing to his already heated cheeks as he growled and looked away.

“I KNOW. I know...the hook. I lost the hook. Get off my chest.”

He stared hard at the little squirt, narrowing his gaze more.

“I mean it.”

Mini stood his ground, shaking his head and walking instead to a spot on his other pectoral. He mimicked the spear throwing again, and then did an impression of hopping around on one leg. The demigod watched only for a moment.

“Yeah yeah, you told me a hundred times already.”

A sharp pinch to his pec made Maui wince again. Defeated, he sighed heavily. “...ok, a thousand…”

Life was long and quiet on this terrible little island.

Even eating the little crabs scuttling along the beach felt like a sin against nature. At least the coconuts and fish sort of made up for it. He watched the gentle waters pushing up a small shell onto the beach, pearly and glittering under the glaring sun. Maui picked it up, turning it in his hand.

_“You’ve gotten away, I’d say, you’re welcome…”_

He tossed it back into the foam, tucking in his legs to hold them as he watched the waters.  
_“For the home I’ve sent you from…”_

He hoped everything was alright down there. He truly, honestly did. It was times like this when he thought of Tamatoa that Maui altogether avoided looking at the other monster tattoos that had appeared on his skin.

He was still very much thankful that the mark of his friend was hidden away on his back.

\---

Yes, the world down here was wonderful indeed. He had all the riches he could ever desire to float on down to him, courtesy of the forgetful humans up above. Tamatoa curled an antennae around the fish hook sparkling from atop the mound on his shell, purring despite the small jolts it gave.

With the hook, he truly had become a king down in the abyssal depths. No monster dared to even look at him out of fear of that hook. It brought a symbolism that had now matched the crab’s story: that he really had known the great Maui and his terrible ways, and that now the great Maui was no more. He even began to keep the lid of his home open, further showcasing his ultimate treasure. His magnificent crown.

Like a king, he continued to eat and scavenge under the starry lights of Lalotai. He continued to use the glowing algae to mark his treasures so that they could shine a brilliant glow even under the darkness of the eternal night. Like a baby, he slumbered without remorse under the cool, soft sands of his home, unrepentant in his collected hatred he had composed over the years. 

It was that way for many years after now that the tables had turned. Maui was no doubt suffering while the monster now had the spotlight to enjoy. In the blink of an eye years turned to decades, and decades to millennia. Not once had the fish hook ever left his back during that time, further stroking his pride to larger and grander proportions. It was like walking in a favorite dream.

But, even those had to end, pleasant as they were.

The day came where his slumber churned, when loud bangs and whispered voices tore through the soft numbness of his bliss. Once again, his feelers twitched under the sand which buried him up to the base of his shell. The sweet smell of pulsating blood and gold started to sift through the grains and prod at the whiskers lining them. Something very stupid and delicious had wandered into his humble home.

That wouldn’t do. He was a terrible host.

Eyes closed but lips turning, Tamatoa waited as he sensed the tiniest shifts in pressure along the ground, drawing nearer and nearer as the impatient voices grew louder and less subtle.

A female. Young in tone and so sweet in scent. 

But then, something more pungent and familiar shook the sleep right out of his nerves.

Like a tremor splitting the earth did he begin to emerge, snapping his claw out with startling accuracy as it lay upon the girl. With all the gentility that betrayed his intent, Tamatoa held her snug within the clasp of his pincer as a toxic snicker began to ripple out from him.

“Ohohohoo….what have we here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a writing blog now! Feel free to peruse it if you have any questions or additional comments!
> 
> socks-on-parade.tumblr.com


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